SCT to Close 8th Season with BLIND FROM HERE, 6/5-28

Single Carrot Theatre is closing out its 8th season with Blind From Here, by SCT Ensemble Member Alix Fenhagen. A world premiere, Blind From Here follows a 90s band on their quest for greatness, and the lead singer Elsa's personal journey of coming to terms with her own dreams in an uncertain future.

Single Carrot sat down with Blind From Here director Stephen Nunns to discuss the show's unique rehearsal process, the prolific nature of Kurt Cobain, and the ups and downs of developing a World Premiere. Nunns worked with SCT last Spring, when he directed the smash success The Memo by Vaclav Havel.

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Single Carrot Theatre (SCT): The rehearsal process for Blind From Here was split into two segments, the first this winter for script development, and now a more traditional process as we approach the show's opening. What are the benefits of this?

Stephen Nunns: Workshopping a new play is invaluable for the playwright. The time working on it is invaluable, but more importantly, the time in between gives the playwright some breathing space to not only rewrite, but also to rethink stuff. Sometimes leaving a piece alone and coming back to it is as important as the actual writing work.

SCT: You are working with a playwright who is an ensemble member at SCT. What's exciting about workshopping a production that you don't necessarily get with published scripts?

Director Stephen Nunns: From a director's point of view, I don't know if I approach things that differently. I think I can offer dramaturgical insights during the script development process--specifically from a practical, staging point of view---and I'd like to think that these are useful for Alix [Fenhagen- playwright].

I think different playwrights work different ways--some of the want it to be a collective experience, and some of them prefer to be left alone. I'm good with whichever. I think Alix is a kind of combination, which is probably pretty healthy.

SCT: Our central band, Blind From Here, is very much of a certain time period (the 1990s) in America. Is there a real band that they remind you of?

Director Stephen Nunns: No, I mean, they kind of represent any band anywhere in the 90s. I think what's nice is that they kind of stand as a metaphor for what happened with the punk/DIY culture and how its initial optimism became corrupted and cynical as time went on. In a way, I think they personify Kurt Cobain's suicide note. You know, he wrote, "I haven't felt the excitement of listening to as well as creating music along with reading and writing for too many years now." And then he added, "I feel guilty beyond words about these things." I feel like there's a connection here, the band starts in this very optimistic place and then it gradually changes. However, unlike Cobain, the main character, Elsa, is a survivor.

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Stephen Nunns is an associate professor at Towson University. He is a cofounder of the Acme Corporation and co-directed the company's 24-hour production of Samuel Beckett's Play, which won Best Production in the City Paper's Best of Baltimore for 2013. He also directed Single Carrot Theatre's production of Václav Havel's The Memo, which won Best Revival in the paper's Best of Baltimore list in 2014. Before coming to Baltimore, Stephen lived in New York City for fifteen years, directing, writing, and composing music for theatre pieces at a variety of off-off Broadway venues. He was an associate artist at the seminal avant-garde theatre company Mabou Mines, where he created three theatre pieces, including the Obie Award-winning The Boys in the Basement.

SHOW DETAILS:

Blind From Here
By Single Carrot Theatre Ensemble Member Alix Fenhagen
Directed by Stephen Nunns
Featuring Ensemble Members Paul Diem and Britt Olsen-Ecker

Preview Performances: Wednesday June 3rd and Thursday June 4th - PAY WHAT YOU CAN
*Tickets for PREVIEW PERFORMANCES are available beginning at 6:30PM at the door only. Ticket price will be determined by you! Cash and credit card will be accepted.*

Running June 5th - 28th, 2015
Performance times are Thursday- Saturday at 8PM- NEW TIME
Sundays June 14th, 21st, and 28th at 2:30PM

Single Carrot Theatre is located at 2600 N. Howard Street, Baltimore, MD 21218. Entrance on 26th Street. Free parking available in adjacent lot and on 26th street.

Tickets: $10-30. Visit singlecarrot.com, call 443-844-9253 or email boxoffice(at)singlecarrot.com for more information.